Keith Lusher Jr The ongoing telemetry study being conducted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Louisiana State University confirms that speckled trout migration is dictated primarily by salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain. Ashley Melancon is a graduate student with LSU and is spearheading the study and says while the study is still ongoing, the data being collected is proving something that speckled trout anglers have known for quite some time. The salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain play a strong role in dictating where speckled trout migrate and at what month of the year they do so. Ashley says the main reason for collecting this data is to find out where the fish are. “The big question of this study is to find out where the fish are throughout the year and how are they using Lake Pontchartrain season to season.” In this particular study, Melancon divided the lake into three sections to better illustrate where the fish migrated - the east, center, and west. The eastern section spanned the waters of the Rioglets to the Trestles, the center sector included the waters from the Trestles to the Causeway, and the western area stretched from the Causeway to Manchac. The results showed that during the month of November speckled trout were the most evenly divided amongst the three regions but during the winter months the trout moved towards the west. “As we progressed into the winter months the speckled trout seemed to prefer the center and the western regions more so than the eastern,” Said Melancon. Last year we saw abnormally high rivers and heavy rains that caused salinity levels in Lake Pontchartrain to dip drastically. This caused the trout to head east. “As we progressed into the spring- in March and April – we saw the trout actively transition to the east as the salinity decreased in the Lake,” Melancon added. The summer months fared the worst in the west. “By the time we got to June, there was only one fish in the west and two in the center. The majority of the fish that were still in the lake were in the eastern part.” She said.
27 receivers picked up this female trout within only 6 months The study is also proving that speckled trout that inhabit the lake are quite mobile. In one instance, a female speckled trout was caught and tagged in November of 2012 along the Hwy 11 Bridge. The fish traveled throughout the lake and was picked up on 27 different receivers. That same trout was caught again near Eden Isles the following May. Melancon says this is the data that telemetry can produce compared to traditional methods. “If you look at the data we collect with our telemetry study you can see this fish moved all around the lake until it was recaptured just a few miles from where it was originally tagged. So we get a lot higher resolution with telemetry data than you we would with using traditional tagging data.” She said.
Another interesting result in this ongoing study shows that of the tagged trout that left the lake in the spring, 58% used the Rigolets as their exit, 31% used St. Catherine Pass and 11% used Chef Pass.
The entire study calls for four total tagging events, three of which have already been accomplished. There is one tagging event remaining in April. If you catch a tagged fish they ask that you to release it so that the data can be collected. If you decide to keep it they ask that you call the number provided on the blue tag and report the date, time, location of catch, and health of the fish when released. If a fish with an internal transmitter is retained, please return the transmitter to A. Ferguson, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, La. 70808.
Another interesting result in this ongoing study shows that of the tagged trout that left the lake in the spring, 58% used the Rigolets as their exit, 31% used St. Catherine Pass and 11% used Chef Pass.
The entire study calls for four total tagging events, three of which have already been accomplished. There is one tagging event remaining in April. If you catch a tagged fish they ask that you to release it so that the data can be collected. If you decide to keep it they ask that you call the number provided on the blue tag and report the date, time, location of catch, and health of the fish when released. If a fish with an internal transmitter is retained, please return the transmitter to A. Ferguson, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, La. 70808.
